Model behaviour from mayor Len Brown

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When women fall, they hope for a tall, dark, handsome man to catch them. An Auckland model working her first New Zealand Fashion Week had to settle for about a quarter of that formula.

Lydia Grace, 24, was modelling for Australian label Charlie Brown on Thursday when she felt her ankles twisting in a pair of perilously high heels.

As she tried to remove the shoes, which she feared were going to injure her, she tripped. It was the first time it had ever happened to her during a runway show.

But like a presidential candidate in baby-holding mode, Auckland mayor Len Brown was by her side in a flash.

Not that Grace knew who he was at the time. "It was really good of him," she said. "But I was too busy trying to redeem myself."

Grace, who has modelled for 18 months, bravely finished her walk but told the Sunday Star-Times she was disappointed for designer Charlie Brown, whose clothes she described as "amazing". 'I feel really bad for the designer who trusted me to do a good job.'

But Brown was not so hard on the young model. 'Shit happens,' she said, via email.

Despite the publicity the stumble had received, Grace said she 'got over it pretty quickly' and would not let it affect her performance today.

Ever the gentleman, the mayor's support continued with an email to Grace's agency - Red Eleven. 'Just a quick note to check you are OK, and don't have any lasting impact from those shoes yesterday - my daughter turned her ankle in netball recently and was in some discomfort for a while."